Central's Isaac Katz receives appointment to US Naval Academy

By Ken Lay

A Central High School senior recently received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy.

Isaac Katz is the first known student from Central to receive an appointment to Annapolis.

Katz has a school year to finish and one more soccer season to play for the Bobcats, but he's excited to be heading off to serve the country and pursue his academic and career pursuits.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the world, or at least Annapolis," he said. "I would say this is a nice chance to see the world."

Katz's appointment concludes a long process.

"First, it was heartening to know that I was mentally and physically qualified to get an appointment," Katz said. "That was encouraging and that was a huge part of the process."

While he's looking forward to his time at the academy and subsequent five-year service commitment, he's looking forward to returning home.

"I'm entering to study nuclear engineering and if I don't end up doing that, I'm going to study physics and I'm hoping to come back and get a job at (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), he said. "I want to study nuclear fusion. Right now, everyone is studying fission and I want to do something with fusion.

Attending a service academy requires a structured lifestyle, another challenge that Katz is anticipating.

"I would like to say that I'm pretty good at that, and it is regimented," he said. "It's not my preferred lifestyle but I'm not opposed to it."

Katz said that a major appeal for him to attend a service academy is the opportunity to learn through trial and error.

"Really, what appeals to me is failure," he said. "While failure isn't exactly encouraged, it's expected.

"Going to the Naval Academy or any service academy gives you the opportunity to learn and grow."

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